Recession Part II; Week Three

Well I still haven't gotten fired.
Or "laid off."
But I did get two wee reprimands!
Yep.

Reprimand #1:
Passive aggressive in nature, said in front of almost the entire staff:
"Having a time issue, are we?"
Which I replied honestly, "Yep, I guess I can't seem to figure out the traffic."
Which is true.
The biggest thing about this job that I don't like is that it's 20-30 minutes away.
Which isn't a huge deal, I guess. The whole "beggars can't be choosers" adage.
But christ-on-a-cracker do I hate traffic.
I wouldn't hate it so much if it was the same everyday. If I could leave at the same time and get to work at the same time. But this doesn't happen in my world.
So I continue to hate traffic with a passion.
I hate it so much that I've resigned myself to getting to work 15 minutes early so I don't have to deal with it.
I hate it so much that I've decided to skip the freeway altogether and take the "backroads" there. Which adds about 10 minutes to my drive time, but I don't have to deal with multiple d-bags cutting me off only to slam on the brakes because there really was a reason I wasn't tailgating the person in front of me.
I would also like to note that with this many people currently out of work, I would really hate to see traffic when the recession is over.

Reprimand #2 was done privately, and in a friendly tone.
I found this reprimand quite hilarious, because it plays right into my whole "Homeless Barbie" routine.
As I'm sitting at my desk-ish area, the practice manager (PM) says to me, "Do you know the sole of your shoes is coming undone?"
"Oh that? Yeah, I guess." Then I pause and maybe shrug my shoulders, as I flip the part of the sole that is coming off of the shoe, not extremely noticeable in my opinion, but whatevs. PM keeps kind of looking at me and my old old shoes.
"Is that I problem?" I ask. Thinking she's going to say something about slipping and falling, or a health issue.
"Well, it just looks kind of scruffy."
"Oh, alright. Well I will just wear other shoes then."
Because let's be real, it's not like I don't have other shoes. But I thought the way she went about it was just really funny. Like I almost had to control myself from laughing.
And to be clear, the rest of the staff, well most of them, wear CROCS.
Because THOSE are the epitome of class and non-scruffiness.
Even E was like, you should just wear your crocs.
To which I replied, "I don't want to be seen in public with those things on."
And he laughed.
Because it's true.
I will admit to owning crocs, but I wear them for their intended use, around the house and gardening.
And going into our gross basement.
Kind of like a rubber house-shoe.
Not to mention, the faux-sherpa lined ones are PERFECT for the winter-time and letting the dog out.
But we don't wear them to the store.
We don't wear them to bars.
And, I refuse to wear them to work.
At least at this point.
I have a super cute pair of pink and olive KangaRoos that I will be rocking at the Vet office from now on.
But that doesn't mean I will look any less homeless.
Just a fair warning.

Recession food:
Homemade black bean burgers made by E.
I have since deemed him the official BBB of our household.
They were delicious and will go excellently with the gazpacho that I whipped up today.
If we ever have expendable income, I think one of my first purchases will be a food processor.
Hand chopping the gazpacho veggies has deemed this necessary by my account.
But the gazpacho is delicious, especially for the first time ever making it! Here is the recipe, take from "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" by Karen Brooks, a cookbook picked up after our neighbor couldn't sell it at our neighborhood rummage sale. This recipe turned out great and I have to say, it ain't just for vegetarians! Not to mention, this recipe is vegan and requires no oven! And let's be real...it's been warm lately.

Gazpacho (cold spanish soup)

• 4 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
• 1 green pepper, chopped (I used a HUGE red pepper cos that is what we had)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 c. tomato juice (in true recession fashion, I didn't have tomato juice, but I thinned about a 1/2 c. of pasta sauce and made it into tomato juice!)
• 1 1/2 cloves of garlic, crushed (I used about 3-4 cloves of garlic as it wasn't the freshest garlic around)
• 1 tbsp. parsley (I have fresh basil so I coarsely chopped about a 1/3 c. of it)
• 3 tbsp. oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 tbsp cider or wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• salt and cayenned pepper to taste (I sprinkled a liberal amount of each)
• 10 pitted black olives (I left these out, because while I love to draw olives, they are on the food I hate list)

In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Blend half of mixture and mix with unblended mixture. Add olives if you're using them. It says to serve with croutons, but I think it's delicious all on it's own.

In other news.
Tonight's tv schedule is looking to be tops:
True Blood
Mad Men
Hung
Entourage.
Although, I have to say, Entourage is kind of getting lame. Ari isn't as funny as he used to be, and all his friends just seem to be lame. I gues it's still better than network, but it truly is a mind suck and doesn't offer too much in the way of entertainment...but maybe something exciting is bound to happen. Whatevs.

Recession Part II; Week Two

Well I made it.
I've been gainfully employed for two weeks now.
Still haven't gotten fired, feel like I know what I'm doing a bit more.
But most importantly.
My first paycheck!
Without delving too much into the dire financial straits E and I seem t constantly be in (I really don't know how two people can be so bad with money, but voila!), the UI was getting hard to live on. Upon accepting this job, I was told it would be part time averaging 30 hours a week. When I worked this out with my hourly wage I was getting, subtracting out the taxes (well, an estimate of the taxes), I wasn't terribly excited at the weekly paycheck I would be getting. I took the job mostly knowing that it would EVENTUALLY get me out of the UI hole, plus eventual free vet care for the Super Code.
But Friday rolled around, and with great trepidation I logged into our bank account.
But to my surprise, my paycheck was almost $100 more than I expected!
Joy of joys!
My secret hope is that they "forget" they told me I was only supposed to get 30 hours a week, and keep letting me go at full speed.

In other news.

The 5K is COMPLETED!



The day begin wet, but by the time we got to the Sausage Haus it had stopped and it looked like I would be able to run my first 5K after all.
But then there was thunder.
Lightning.
The way you love me is frightening.
And the 5K was postponed for a half an hour.
We all huddled in the Sausage Haus, listening to the sounds of De La Buena, and eating our free snacks and coffee provided by Alterra.
After my second cup of coffee, my hands were sufficiently pruned and were losing feeling, as I was soaked to the bone and it was kind of cool out. I knew, however, that once I started running the blood would beging flowing again.
Finally they announced the race would start at 9:20.
So two hours after arriving, picking up my goody bag and free t-shirt, I finally took my place next to other soaked people.
And then we were off.
As predicted, I forgot about the cold, wetness of me, and focused on heating myself up, so I may have ran faster than usual trying to get the blood flowing to all of my digits. But with ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" playing, how could you not run fast?!
Towards the end, I did get tired, but there was something exhilirating about running with a huge group of people, knowing that E was waiting for me at the end, and as cheesy as it sounds, having people clap when you finish.
Not to mention, the endorphin rush was perfection and lasted until about 3 pm that day!
Official time:
31:37
I was 462 over all.
34th out of 53 in my division.
150th out of 316 for my sex.
So I completed a goal!
5K-check.
Ran the whole thing-check.
Ran it under 45:00-check.

Next on the list, training for an 8K in October.
Which I think will be alot harder than training for a 5K, but I have two months to do it.

In dog news, it appears that we will be fostering a greyhound mix puppy.
Yep.
You heard right, a puppy.
I think by the time we get him he will be about 8 months old.
We've been told he has ADD, and has an insane level of energy, but with my training getting a little more intensive, we (okay maybe just me) thought it would be a fun challenge.
His name?
Logan, soon to be Detective Logan (Chris Noth's character from L&O):




I will let you know how this Adventure in Fostering goes.

In other L&O news, it turns out that our CSPBFF's M&Z are going to a wedding which will have Jeremy Sisto featured as a groomsmen. I have asked them to report back on his height, because he is a tv bf of mine, and he seems really tall. Plus he's beardy!
This has made me realize that E and I really don't know enough people.
*SIGH*
M&Z also alerted us to a Pick-n-Save on the southside that has beans in bulk! For cheap!
And how to make said beans in a slow cooker! Thanks guys!

On the docket for next week:
Brewers v. Padres, the ol' Castraburch rivalry.
Me pops' b-day/tailgate party.
E's dad and "step-mom" will be staying at the Castraburch B&B.
And perhaps the most important of all:
August 13 is National Left-Handers' Day!
Know a lefty?!
(and if you're reading this blog, you most assuredly know a lefty!)
Thank them for being so awesome.

Recession Part II; Week One

As you can see from the title of this blog, I have divided this recession into parts.
According to my calculations we are in the second stages of the recession.
The job part.

As I stated before, my new gig will most likely be quite comparable to the unemployment I was getting. So while it's not exactly a step up, hopefully I will do this job well and get my scheduled raises, and then it WILL be a step up. Not a huge step. But a baby step...and soon I will be able to say:




And to keep the nautical theme going, the first week of the new gig just sailed on by.
As most of you know, I hate being the new kid.
People who know me find this to be shocking, as most people say I'm outgoing.
But this is true only in situations where I feel comfortable.
So if I don't know anybody AND I have no idea what I'm doing.
It spells critical uncomfortability for Jj.
However, if we were allowed to drink on the job, this might change.
I'm just being honest here, folks.

With that being said. By the end of the week I was at least treading water. I was able to take some phone calls, schedule some appointments, answer some questions, etc. So I'm hoping by the end of next week things will be better.

I haven't been fired yet, so that is a plus.

What I find humorous about the job is how BUSY/CRAZY everyone says it is.
Obviously they have never worked at a coffee shop when you have a line out the door.
So it doesn't seem that crazy (knock on wood). But maybe I just don't know enough about anything yet.
Which could totally be the case.
This is what I do know:
1. We get lots of birds.
2. The dr's, thus far, have been incredibly nice and approachable, which is a nice switch from other mecial practices I've worked at (vet and human).
3. The people seem pretty nice, I suppose. Lots of moms. I think I will get along with the other receptionist quite well as she reminds me a bit of my mom in her demeanor and how she relates to people. Plus she has a huge St. Bernard mix that I got to see. So so cute.
4. It's already 100% less depressing than the WHS. PLUS!

I will keep you posted as to how week two goes.

In other news:
The 5K training is coming to an end!
I run my 5K on SATURDAY!
I'm not looking to win (obs), just to run the whole thing. This could be quite the task as I totally slacked on training this week, due to E's wonky schedule. But this week we should be good to go. Upon completion of the 5K, I'm considering keeping the training going and training for the Al's Run, or I think now it's known as the Brigg's Stratton Corporate run for Kids or something.
For us native Milwaukeeans, it's Al's Run.
This would be an 8k in October, which would mean two months to add another 3Ks.
We'll see.
We'll see how the 5K goes.

Farm Share news!
Well E and I have been very successful eating most, if not all of our farm share during the week.
Most of the time we both enjoy what I prepare.
I'm not afraid to try making new things, knowing that usually E or I will end up eating it.
I've also learned I don't like beets, but at least I did try them.
Yesterday was a fail and a half for me:

Upon receiving our farm share and divvy-ing everything up I realized we had a lot of carrots. Upon looking through the vast array of cookbooks I have acquired, I found two recipes that looked interesting.

The first was a carrot salad, taken from the cookbook PO got me for my birthday:

This is a vegan recipe and while I thought it was interesting, and I will eat it, E didn't like it at all, and I probably won't make it again, although it was incredibly easy:

• 1/2 lb carrots
• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 sm. clove of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
• salt to taste

Peel carrots; grate on the large holed side of a four sided grater. Transfer to a bowl and stir in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chives and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Like I said, the recipe is incredibly easy, but there was something about it that seemed "too much." We couldn't decide if it was the lemon juice, or if it was because I used fresh-from-the-farm-super-punguent garlic. I should also note we did not have chives, so I skipped those. That may have helped. This was the half-fail recipe. All though now that I think about it I may try it again but with the chives. We'll see.

The epic-fail recipe I made was a dish called Carrot Timbales, which I had never made before. And although the process seemed rather long, it wasn't anything we could handle...I thought we would be making mini-quiches as the recipe called for this egg/milk mixture to be mixed with the carrots and onion. Except then in got weird. Then it instructed us to put ramekins in casserole dish, fill with hot tap water (the casserole dish) so only a 1/3 of the ramekin wasn't in the bath, and then cover with foil. They cook then you open the oven door, loosen the foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Then you let them sit for ten minutes and invert them and eat them.

After putting the casserole dish/ramekins in the oven E became enlightened with some information:
E: Jj I don't think you're going to like this recipe.
Jj: Why?
E: Well I think the reason we have to do the water thing and cover with foil is that we're steaming the eggs.
Jj: Ew. So they will be like poached eggs?
E: Yeah, I think so. But I could be wrong.
Jj: I'm totally not going to like this.

So we waited. We followed the instructions and.
E was right.
It was like five little poached eggs meals.
And if you know anything about me, it's that I only eat eggs dry.
Scrambled hard.
Quiche baked well.
There cannot be a hint of ooze from the eggs.
And these were the ooziest of ooze. Steamed eggs.
Whoever thought of such an idea?
Ga-ross.
However, if you like steamed eggs, and vegetables, this could be the recipe for you.
Email me and I will email you the recipe if interested.

Another Epic fail?
The Brewers. My team is slowly bleeding out and there is nothing I can do. First we lose to the Nationals. Now the Padres.
To clarify:
The Nats have the worst record in ALL of the MLB.
The Pads are in LAST in the NL West.
The good news is that E is a Padre fan, so there is at least that.
But still.
Ugh.

Day 139

NEWS!

Now I know some of you may find this hard to believe but...

I GOT A JOB!
(throws confetti, shakes noisemakers, cheers)

It's true.

Here are some FAQs regarding my new employ:

What will you be doing?
I will be working as a receptionist/assistant at a vet clinic. This clinic also sees snakes, which I'm not terribly excited about, but I will cope. It also sees some wildlife which will be pretty cool, I think and will take me back to my Junior DNR Ranger days.

When do you start?
I start this Monday!

Are you excited?
Yes, I suppose one could say I'm excited. I hate the beginning stages of any job because I don't like not knowing what I'm doing.

You're still going to blog aren't you?
Yes, unfortunately the job pays *basically* the same as unemployment, for now. So the recession is still in full swing! Not to worry. You will still get to hear about how the recession-filled life is going, among other things.

The funny thing about this job, is I got basically via networking.
I know, I know.
I hate networking.
I truly do hate it.
I think it's entirely not fair to people who don't have an in.
This is especially true in the entertainment industry, which E has toiled in.
It's truly not about talent, it's about who you know.
And I'm finding this is true not only in the entertainment industry, but in life.
It's all about luck, not necessarily hard work, but luck.
The New York Times magazine had a great article about this such fact.
A former drug addict, now New York Times reporter.
Ask him how he got where he is today?
Luck.
Ask any Holocaust survivor how they survived.
Luck.
Just so you don't think I'm this eternal pessimist.
Although I kind of am.

So I get a phone call one morning from a fellow greyhound adopter who tells me her vet office is looking for a receptionist and while she was currently happy with her work, she did think of me and gave them my name, and said if I was interested to give them a call.

Later in the day, I called had a phone interview right then and there, and then set up an interview for later in the week. Easy-peasy as some folks would say.

I then discussed the prospect with E. Unfortunately the job is not technically full time, although I think there is potential to make it such in the future. And unfortunately, the job doesn't pay "great." But I think, as mentioned above, it will be a wee bit more than unemployment.

We decided since we have become quite awesome at being poor, minus the parts where we don't get to do anything that involves money, that if offered the job, I would accept it.

Another perk I learned of during the interview was that they offer discounted vet care to their employees! Which is definitely great. Not that Super goes to the vet all the time, but once a year (or more for various other issues that come up) that will definitely save us some $$. So it's not all bad. And, if ever want to get another dog, this would surely be helpful.

Day 133

Perhaps it's because my day began with a little Christian rock from my childhood...White Heart's Fly Eagle Fly (posted so you can know what my childhood music scene was like):


Maybe it's because PO has continued the tradition of us watching True Blood together.
And in doing so we talk about how much we heart vamps then and now.
I think I can quote a lot of that movie.
It was truly one of my faves.
And began my love affair with Kiefer Sutherland.
Hearts.

Or maybe Don Henley does it to me everytime.
After dropping PO off I was driving down Vliet, which has a certain old school charm about it, and "End of the Innocence" comes on the radio.



Now as you know, I used to be what the kids call a hippie.
Except, I never, repeat NEVER liked the Grateful Dead, Phish, or reggae.
But I have always had an affinity for Bruce Hornsby.
Not Phil Lesh & Friends Bruce Hornsby, but 80s Bruce Hornsby.
My first thrift store 45 was Bruce Hornsby and the Range, "Mandolin Rain."
You don't know what you got 'til you lose it all...

So on the radio they say how Bruce Hornsby co-wrote the song with Don Henley, and as I'm driving down Vliet, looking at the neat early 60s font of Highland Lanes, and the cute barber pole outside of LA Barbers, not to mention the working class charm of the Wonderbar! and other countless establishments.

It made me think what a nice little plot of Milwaukee that is.
Clean.
Old and new melding together.
And at that moment I wished I was a photographer.
And let's be real.
Lots of people say they're photographers, or would love to be one.
But I'm not one of those people.
I know all too well that I have zero visual artistic ability.
My brain is meant to hold trivia and quotes.
And that is about it.
I have no spatial reasoning.
But I would love it if SOMEONE, someone with photographic talent would take like a series of pictures of the business establishments along Vliet.
Just an idea I have.

Usually this nostalgia thinking doesn't hit me until fall, but with my unemployment, my emotional seasons are all over the place.

Sappy?
Totes McGotes my friends.
Totes McGotes.
It happens.

Day 132

I realize the last couple of blogs have been kind of downers.
So today I'm going to show you the best parts of the recession!

1. Way way less junk mail.
No more pesky credit card offers. The junk mail that is received now is mostly from area schools trying to increase enrollment. I have no idea how I got on such a list, but alas. Anys, they are easy to recycle as no shredding is required and they go directly into the recycling box in the foyer!

2. Chocolate chip cookies!
I'm not a big sweets person, but every so often I can't resist a delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie! On a side note, I believe it should be spelled c-o-o-k-y, adding the i-e only in plural form. This is how it is spelled in numerous 19th century novels and I think I am going to try to bring it back.

3. Reading!
Cheap and easy and travels well. Not that I'm going anywhere, but if I had to go on the lam, I would have some entertainment.

4. Gardening!
While not necessarily cheap, it does provide some fun, watching my veggies grow from seeds (yeah that's right, bitches...SEEDS!) and now hang with soon-to-be-ripened fruit. It will be much cheaper next year as all I will have to buy is dirt and maybe some more seeds. Maybe.

Okay so this isn't an exhaustive list, but I was just trying to perk the ol' blog up a bit.

In other news.
After a two hour rain delay, the Brewers DID indeed win. And yes while there was a home run involved, the other runs came on small ball. Here's hoping they can earn some runs for Gallardo.

During the two hour rain delay I watched Mamma Mia, the musical based on a musical based on ABBA songs. I just wanted something light, and who doesn't love ABBA?
Okay, so lots of people claim to not like ABBA but you put on Dancin' Queen and the dance floor is packed:


I'm just sayin'.
But instead of a light-hearted romp, it was just dumb. Boring. Not very many hijinks. And to be fair, I wasn't expecting a lot from this movie. I actually kind of wanted to see it when it came out, now I'm dreadfully thankful that it just bided my time until the rain delay was over.
So I do not recommend this film. DISLIKE!
I'd stick with Grease or Hairspray or Tommy or Jesus Christ Superstar or Rocky Horror Picture Show.

What else did I do today, you ask?
I read 90 books.
Sort of.
I read:
90 Classic Books for People in a Hurry.
I found it at the ol' libes.
I know, I know, I'm technically supposed to be reading the book MG loaned me, but this one just called to me...AND I finished it in the car.
True.
It's great!
It takes 90 books and breaks them down into 3 graphic boxes, effectively giving you the beginning, middle and ending of each book.
Don't get me wrong, you won't be able to talk intelligently on any of the books mentioned, but you could at least nod along knowingly.
I highly recommend this book, PLUS it opened my eyes to a couple of books I haven't read/didn't know were books and I now want to read those (Who knew so many books written before 1980 were so desparate and suicidal?)
LIKE!

In other news:
I plan on watching Twin Peaks.
I've never seen it, and am not the hugest David Lynch fan, but I do love Kyle McLachlan (especially in Showgirls...wait, what?). And I remember all the buzz when it first came out, when I was a wee lass.
I will definitely let you know if I get caught up in it.

Day 131

You wanna know a fun game to play?
Why your life is better than mine.
Today is a prime example.

While the day began okay, I couldn't shake an inexplicable exhaustion.
I didn't go to bed so late.
I thought I slept okay.
But upon waking up at 8-ish to let the dogs out, it became quite apparent that I wasn't going to be able to stay awake.

3 hours later I forced myself to wake up, fiddled around on the internet, and made myself go on a run, no less tired.

The good news, is the run was a success. I completed all parts of the run, no matter I was "jogging" at a snail's pace for the last two songs. But I pulled a Kate Bush and did not give up.

Upon entering the house I see crimson splatters on the ground, along with assorted trash strewn about.
Supes.

Upon further inspection it appears that Super escaped from the guest room, although she's been having slumber parties there with Sandy each night. Apparently she couldn't take yet another game of dog Truth or Dare.
And apparently pulled the butter and the accompanying dish off of the microwave (which is about chest high on me, a five-nine or ten-er). And she had apparently cut herself somewhere.
As luck would have it she cut (probably more like a scrape) on her muzzle, no stitches, no pricey trip to the e-vet.

E gets home and is preparing for his tennis tournament, when we hear a loud pop. Upon looking out the window we see nothing unusual, perhaps a garbage can, as our block has amassed a ridiculous amount of them, fell over.

E leaves and shortly after returns.
The sound we heard was our tire blowing out.
Again.
And.
As you know, it's not like we have extra money to throw away on things like tires.
Okay so a tire is a necessity, but it's not like we have extra money to throw away on ANYTHING.
Not to mention most tire places only take cash, which for us is at a premium.
Not like I'm ever thrilled when forced to use a credit card for anything.
Maybe I should just turn to drug dealing.
Mary Louise Parker seems to be doing okay for herself.

Anyway.
The tire will be replaced, hopefully E won't miss out on his tennis tournament, as those cost some skrilla as well.

I'm not an optimist at all, but I have to assume that things are going to turn around?
But then I think, why should they?
Homeless peoples' lives generally don't turn around.
I think this is the point that most people find religion.

In other, more frivolous news:
I actually started the sitcom!
YES!
Even if it turns out to be super lame and just a webisode, at least it's something!

And.
I checked out Scarlet's Walk by Tori Amos from the library. I used to have this album, and still have all the packaging, but somehow lost the cd in the move. Anyway.
I absolutely loved this album when I had it (this was during my Ryan Adams' "Gold" and Decibully phase--these were the three albums I played almost incessantly). And upon listening to it again, I still love it!
Which for me is weird cos I'm kind of done with the whole chick singer thing (okay so that is a bit of a lie, I did just recently check out a Keren Ann cd and liked it). But Tori Amos is very freshman year of college, but this album still brings me bliss.

I've also finished reading "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks CSPBFFs for loaning this to me! It wasn't nearly as scientific as I expected, but that could be for the ridiculous in-depth Psych 101 class I took at Northland College, which I actually did well in. Who knew Jj and science could ever mix?

I'm currently reading another book on loan from the CSPBFFs "The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori" by Robert Barnard. It's a mystery, which I've decided I enjoy reading because they give me a sense of accomplishment, but tend to always be a let down at the ending. So I will give this one a go.

Recession news!
I've interviewed for a receptionist position at a vet clinic.
While it's not copywriting, it SOMETHING that I would at least be okay at (I think) and the perks are pretty good (basically comped vet visits and discounted vaccines and such!). So I have to take that into consideration as vet care is an expense.
Plus there really is nothing else out there.
I should find out by the end of next week if I get it.
Obs I will keep you posted.

Also, does anyone eat beets?
Yesterday, in a great recession moment, I made a beet salad.
This particular beet salad called for beets, pineapples, lemon juice, honey and salt.
I've never eaten beets before (but I've danced to beats, and I've read beats), I thought I wouldn't let these pretty vegetables go to waste.
It was a good feeling having my hands stained red.
I felt like a real farmer.
Especially since...
My tomato plants have green fruit on them!!!
My plants that I raised from seed are sprouting real, live tomatoes!
YES!
Anyway.
Back to beets.
So I've never had beets before, but these taste really, EARTHY.
Is this normal?
I would say they taste dirty, but it's not that.
It's like an earthy taste.
I'm just wondering if this is normal.
I can't say the salad was fantastic. It's okay, but the earthiness of the beets and the sweetness of the pineapple and honey seem like a weird combo to me.

It should also be noted that as a belated birthday gift PO, who has basically become my recession benefactor, gave me a fabulous coffee table/cook book about fresh vegetables from farmer's markets (Fresh From the Farmer's Market)! This week we get fennel and I can't wait to use the recipes listed as I have no idea how to use fennel..
PO you are awesome, and thanks for buying me drinks when I only have $2 in quarters (AA you helped in this one too).